In his latest AppDate, SEAN BACHER highlights FNB’s newest mobile app, DStv Now for Compact and Extra customers, Child Friendly SA, Opera 3.0 Max, BBM News for SA and CarZar’s updated website.
FNB updated website
FNB’s latest banking app update allows users to view and pay for traffic fines and renew car licenses. For a fee, the licence is delivered by courier, and saves standing in lines and dealing with bureaucrats. It also features Augmented Reality and FNB TV. The augmented reality technology is designed to help customers find nearby eBucks retail partners, and the FNB TV service helps customers navigate banking easily with video clips that take them through the process step-by-step. The app also offer the ability to temporarily block, unblock, cancel and order any cheque, credit or debit card.
Platform: Android and Apple iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device
DStv Now for Compact and Extra customers
DStv Now previousl allowed DStv customers of premium services to watch streaming Live TV and access the Catch Up channel on mobile devices. These features are now available on lower-cost DStv Compact and Extra accounts at no extra cost.
By downloading the mobile app, or logging on via a desktop browser, one gets to watch Live TV, see the full DStv TV Guide, enjoy DStv Catch Up content (via streaming or download) and manage accounts.
The Live TV and DStv Catch Up content on DStv Now will be based on the package to which the user is subscribed.
Platform: Android, Apple iOS and any device with a supporting Internet browser.
Expect to pay: A free download.
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device or log on at www.now.dstv.com
Child Friendly SA
The Child Friendly SA app offers a easy solution to help parents-on-the-go to make more of their own day and their kids’ lives. More than 10 000 listings of child-friendly activities, services and shops are readily accessible from a smartphone. The app offers a wealth of ideas and valuable shortcuts to enriching family lives and to manage them more efficiently. Information is presented in more than 200 categories and sub-categories, covering the needs of kids from birth to the end of the high school years.
Platform: Android and Apple iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
Opera 3.0 Max
Opera has rolled out its new 3.0 version of the Max app. This is a major update with a new design, optimised for easier use of the data savings and data management tools inside Opera Max. The new version also introduces an improvement to its data savings technology by adding support for Facebook savings.
Opera Max 3.0 acts like a user’s smart assistant to manage Android apps. It starts off on a familiar feed that is customised to a user’s current data usage. It then shows “app by app” mobile and Wi-Fi data usage and also provides personalised advice on how best to reduce data usage. The tip cards on Opera Max’s new home feed will guide users through the most efficient ways to stretch their mobile data plan and help better manage their apps’ data consumption. Also, Opera Max will report on external security threat,s while providing data encryption when, for example, users are on public a Wi-Fi network.
Platform: Android
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Visit the Google Play Store
BBM News now in South Africa
BBM News is a source for news from around the globe: breaking, world, local, technology, sports, entertainment, business, and more. Accessible from the BBM Discover menu, this new service provides a personalised experience that “learns” which news stories are important to a user.
BBM News also includes the ability to share news with friends and family — making it easier for consumers to pass along interesting articles, and for content providers to take advantage of “dark social sharing,” which appears to be more effective than social advertising.
Platform: Mobile devices running the BBM messenger service
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Download BBM News through the Discover menu in BBM messenger.
Updated CarZar website
CarZar has a new website which will deliver a faster and easier experience when selling secondhand cars. Sellers enter their car’s details on the CarZar.co.za website, after which CarZar’s algorithm will instantly generate an estimate for the vehicle’s selling price. If the seller is happy with the estimated value, they can book a free inspection with one of CarZar’s trained car inspectors. Within 20 minutes, the inspector will make a final offer to the seller. CarZar then makes an instant payment and takes care of all the paperwork. In all, the process takes only 30 minutes.
Platform: Any device with an Internet browser
Expect to pay: A free service.
Stockists: www.carzar.co.za
